Washington Screening of Ten9Eight

The Washington screening of director Mary Mazzio's inspirational second film, Ten9Eight was held on Monday at the Smithsonian Museum of American Art's Portrait Gallery, followed by a reception at the Hotel Monaco.

The compelling film chronicles high-school age contestants in a year-long competition for young entrepreneurs, sponsored by the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship. Mazzio is a Georgetown University law school grad, but after years as a practicing lawyer, in the mid-1990's she felt compelled to do something more positive with her life. "It was time," she said, "so I considered politics, and I considered filmmaking, and filmmaking won out."

In the crowd: Deputy Secretary of Commerce Dennis Hightower, White House Director of Social Innovation Sonal Shah, Visa Inc. CEO Joe Saunders, Nantucket Nectars founder Tom Scott, Fox News Channel's Greta Van Susteren, entrepreneur and educator Chris Gardner (the inspiration for the Will Smith film "The Pursuit of Happyness"), AMC Theaters CEO Gerry Lopez, Winston Bao Lord, and David Sutphen.

— Report and photographs by Christina Wilkie

Washington Redskins cheerleading director Stephanie Jojokian and Redskins marketing director Melanie Coburn

Grant Allen and Adam Gerson

"Ten9Eight" star Rodney Walker, director Mary Mazzio, AMC Theaters CEO Gerry Lopez, NFTE CEO Amy Rosen, and Chris Gardner

Entrepreneurship prize-winning product Popsy Cakes were given to each guest at a post-screening reception

Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship founder Steve Mariotti, a guest and Rodney Walker

Hilary Rosen, David Sutphen and Amy Rosen

Chris Gardner, who's story inspired the film "The Pursuit of Happyness" with Ten9Eight stars William Mack, Rodney Walker and Ja’Mal Wills